Scaled down version of Love Street development going before officials again

Scaled down version of Love Street development going before officials again

Planning and Zoning board recommends approval of a much smaller footprint

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Updated: 8:42 PM EDT Jul 11, 2017

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WEBVTT TERRI: THE PLANNING AND ZONINGBOARD MEETS TONIGHT AND THEREARE PLANNING ON RECOMMENDINGTHAT THE TOWN APPROVED THISLATEST PLAN.THIS IS THE FOURTH VERSION ANDIS MUCH SMALLER IN SCALE THANTHE ORIGINAL.SOME PEOPLE STILL OPPOSE IT.THEY DON'T WANT ANY DEVELOPMENTAT ALL.JUST TO THE EAST OF THE BLUEROOFED FORMER RUSTIC INN IS THESANDY BEACH AND DOCK AT THE ENDOF LOVE STREET.IT IS THIS TWO ACRE PARCEL THATIS NOW THE KERNEL OF ANAMBITIOUS PLAN FIRST MARKETED ASA FUNKY FISHING VILLAGE, BUTAFTER PUBLIC OUTCRY,SIGNIFICANTLY SCALED BACK.THE REVISED PLAN IS TO DEVELOPONLY TWO ACRES INSTEAD OF FOUR.THE PADDLE BOAT AND KAYAKRENTALS WILL STAY, BUT MOVE TO ASMALLER AREA.>> WE'LL BE HERE ALL DAY, EVERYTERRI: AND THE COMMERCIALFISHING DOCK, ONE OF THE LAST INPALM BEACH COUNTY, WILL ALSOREMAIN.BUT THE LOVE SHACK AND SHINGLEDHOUSE VACATION RENTALS WILL BETORN DOWN, MAKING WAY FOR TWO5000 SQUARE FOOT RESTAURANTS ONOFFICE SPACE.BOTH RESTAURANTS WILL BE ONESTORY, BUT ONE WILL HAVE ROOFTOPSEATING.SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER, IS HOWDEVELOPER CHARLES MODICA PUTS IT, BUT OPPONENTS STILL DON'T LIKEIT.>> I THINK ITS GREAT THE WAY ITIS, I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH NICERESTAURANTS TO CHOOSE FROMAROUNDHERE, AND I THINK THIS ISA NICE LITTLE OASIS FOR FAMILIESAND CHILDREN TO COME.TERRI: AT FIRST THE TOWN WASGOING TO SWAP THIS PARKING LOTFOR TWO ACRES DOWN THE STREETTHE DEVELOPER OWNS SO HE COULDBUILD HIS LOVE STREET VILLAGEALL THE WAY OUT TO THE STREET,BUT THE OUTCRY WAS SO FIERCETHEY DROPPED IT.HOWEVER, MODICA JUST BOUGHT THESTREET PROPERTY, PLANNING ARESTAURANT AND A WEDDING ANDEVENT CENTER.SO HIS VILLAGE WILL STRETCH WESTEVENTUALLY, AND OTHER EXPANSIONIS DEFINITELY COMING DOWN THEROAD.THE DEVELOPER'S PLANNER TELLS MEEVEN KNOW THIS VERSION IS 60%SMALLER THAN THE ORIGINAL IT INNO WAY MEANS THAT THIS ENTIREPROJECT WILL NOT ONE DAY BEFULLY DEVELOPED ON THIS PROPERTYAND THE ONES ADJACENT AND TO THEEAST.IT WILL JUST HAPPEN US MORESLOWLY.

Scaled down version of Love Street development going before officials again

Planning and Zoning board recommends approval of a much smaller footprint

A fourth version of the controversial Love Street development is being recommended for approval by town planners, and will be voted on by the council in August.

“The project is significantly reduced,” said the developer’s planner, Don Hearing. “It is 1/3 of what was previously approved, the square footage is 60% less than the previously approved plan.”

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Now developer Charles Modica is proposing to build on just two acres rather than the four the town approved last year.

What was first marketed in 2011 as a funky fishing village with shops, restaurants, vacation rentals, office space and a parking garage has been shaved down.

Hearing said public outcry was hard to overcome. In its latest iteration, the biggest hurdle was a proposed land swap between the town and Modica.

Council members agreed to give Modica two acres of what is now public parking south of the Love Street property he owns, so he could build on all four acres.

In return, he would give the town two acres east of A1A and south of Parkway St.

Hearing said since so many people were opposed to it, they dropped the swap.

“Until there is that political support for the vision, it’s hard,” he said.

Now the plan calls for two small, 5,000 sq. foot restaurants on the water.

The Love Shack and another building currently used as vacation rentals will be demolished, and retail shops and some office space will go up instead.

The Jupiter Outdoor Center will continue offering kayak and paddleboard rentals, in a “kiosk” type of area near the water.

The commercial fishing dock – one of the last in Palm Beach County, will also remain.

However, some residents are still opposed to the changes.

“I think it’s great the way it is. I think we have enough nice restaurants to choose from around here, and I think this is a nice little oasis for families and children to come to,” said Melissa Bobka, who spent part of the day lolling in a hammock suspended in the shallow water with her two visiting nieces.

While Modica has scaled back his vision – it is likely just a slowdown.

“In no way does it ever foreclose the opportunity for the bigger picture to occur,” said Hearing. “It’s just going to happen slowly over time.”

Modica recently bought the former Rustic Inn next to his Love Street property and is planning a restaurant and a wedding and event center.

He also owns the nearby Suni Sands trailer park, and plans to connect it all in an eventual fishing village type development.

If the council approves the plan Aug. 3, Love Street could open in the summer of 2018, said Hearing.